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Control room operator salary
Average control room operator salary
$43,733
Understanding Control Room Operator Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Control Room Operator is approximately $43,733 annually, translating to about $21 per hour. Salaries in this field can vary significantly depending on factors such as location, experience, and the specific industry. For example, operators in high-demand sectors like energy may see higher wages compared to those in other fields.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start lower, around $35,000, while experienced operators can earn upwards of $55,000. Gaining certifications and specialized training can enhance earning potential.
Highest Paying States
States such as California, Texas, and New York consistently offer higher salaries for Control Room Operators, reflecting the demand in urban and industrial areas. For those considering this career path, researching state-specific salaries can provide valuable insights.
Career Opportunities
Control Room Operators have opportunities for advancement into supervisory and management roles, often with increased responsibilities and pay. By honing skills and gaining experience, operators can transition into positions with greater influence and higher earning potential.
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Where can a Control Room Operator earn more?
Control room operator salaries by experience level
Control room operator salary estimates from across the web
Average control room operator salary by state
The average control room operator salary in Alaska, Colorado, and Michigan are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average control room operator salary states are Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for control room operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $47,951 | $23.05 |
| 2 | Alaska | $54,689 | $26.29 |
| 3 | Colorado | $50,880 | $24.46 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $47,133 | $22.66 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $47,067 | $22.63 |
| 6 | Montana | $48,584 | $23.36 |
| 7 | Michigan | $50,309 | $24.19 |
| 8 | Vermont | $47,172 | $22.68 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $46,952 | $22.57 |
| 10 | Nevada | $46,093 | $22.16 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $47,029 | $22.61 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $47,541 | $22.86 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $47,072 | $22.63 |
| 14 | Ohio | $45,972 | $22.10 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $49,013 | $23.56 |
| 16 | Utah | $45,395 | $21.82 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $45,933 | $22.08 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $48,225 | $23.19 |
| 19 | Texas | $45,110 | $21.69 |
| 20 | Delaware | $45,565 | $21.91 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $44,106 | $21.20 |
| 22 | Oregon | $47,066 | $22.63 |
| 23 | California | $47,335 | $22.76 |
| 24 | New York | $46,107 | $22.17 |
| 25 | Washington | $48,444 | $23.29 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $44,631 | $21.46 |
| 27 | Idaho | $45,664 | $21.95 |
| 28 | Maryland | $44,721 | $21.50 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $44,324 | $21.31 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $42,975 | $20.66 |
| 31 | Iowa | $42,829 | $20.59 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $42,959 | $20.65 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $44,084 | $21.19 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $41,709 | $20.05 |
| 35 | Maine | $43,423 | $20.88 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $43,760 | $21.04 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $42,159 | $20.27 |
| 38 | Arizona | $41,615 | $20.01 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $42,516 | $20.44 |
| 40 | Indiana | $41,178 | $19.80 |
| 41 | Georgia | $39,904 | $19.18 |
| 42 | Missouri | $41,322 | $19.87 |
| 43 | Illinois | $43,115 | $20.73 |
| 44 | Virginia | $41,029 | $19.73 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $37,787 | $18.17 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $36,570 | $17.58 |
| 47 | Florida | $32,047 | $15.41 |
| 48 | Kansas | $38,996 | $18.75 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $34,501 | $16.59 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $37,684 | $18.12 |
| 51 | Alabama | $34,387 | $16.53 |
Highest paying cities for control room operators
The highest-paying cities for control room operators are Commerce City, CO, Palo Alto, CA, and Olympia, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commerce City, CO | $51,076 | $24.56 |
| 2 | Palo Alto, CA | $50,044 | $24.06 |
| 3 | Olympia, WA | $48,582 | $23.36 |
| 4 | Springfield, MA | $47,291 | $22.74 |
| 5 | Toledo, OH | $47,086 | $22.64 |
| 6 | Milwaukee, WI | $46,868 | $22.53 |
| 7 | Guilderland, NY | $46,778 | $22.49 |
| 8 | Midland, TX | $46,105 | $22.17 |
| 9 | Salt Lake City, UT | $45,487 | $21.87 |
| 10 | Hagerstown, MD | $44,955 | $21.61 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $43,315 | $20.82 |
| 12 | Richmond, KY | $41,900 | $20.14 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $41,753 | $20.07 |
| 14 | Richmond, VA | $41,097 | $19.76 |
| 15 | Springfield, MO | $39,880 | $19.17 |
| 16 | Winston-Salem, NC | $34,982 | $16.82 |
| 17 | Land O Lakes, FL | $32,564 | $15.66 |
Control room operator salary details
A control room operator's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $62,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a control room operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 75th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| Average | $43,733 | $3,644 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest paying control room operator jobs
The highest paying types of control room operators are power technician, coal gasification technician, and refinery technician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | $37,928 | $3,161 | $18.23 | 159,077 |
| Power Plant Operator | $49,204 | $4,100 | $23.66 | 40,719 |
| Utility Operator | $38,693 | $3,224 | $18.60 | 67,565 |
| Process Operator | $37,996 | $3,166 | $18.27 | 83,478 |
| Boiler Operator | $49,782 | $4,149 | $23.93 | 32,715 |
| Plant Operator | $42,697 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 43,388 |
Top companies hiring control room operators now:
Which companies pay control room operators the most?
Control room operator salaries at California Resources and Apache are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average control room operator salary at companies like Bloomberg and Gillette are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Resources | $66,181 | $31.82 |
| 2 | Apache | $60,797 | $29.23 |
| 3 | Bloomberg | $58,684 | $28.21 |
| 4 | Gillette | $57,475 | $27.63 |
| 5 | Hilton Grand Vacations | $55,097 | $26.49 |
| 6 | Coterra Energy | $54,502 | $26.20 |
| 7 | AECOM | $54,408 | $26.16 |
| 8 | BP America Inc | $54,246 | $26.08 |
| 9 | Reckitt Benckiser | $54,242 | $26.08 |
| 10 | City of Roanoke, Virginia - Government | $54,020 | $25.97 |
| 11 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $52,841 | $25.40 |
| 12 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $52,747 | $25.36 |
| 13 | Fortune Brands Home & Security | $52,581 | $25.28 |
| 14 | Hyatt Hotels | $51,691 | $24.85 |
| 15 | Univision Communications | $50,767 | $24.41 |
| 16 | Xcel Energy | $50,224 | $24.15 |
| 17 | Black & Veatch | $49,984 | $24.03 |
| 18 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | $49,916 | $24.00 |
| 19 | Baystate Health | $49,740 | $23.91 |
| 20 | Inter-Con Security Systems | $49,713 | $23.90 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Control Room Operator salary by industry
The average control room operator salary varies across industries:
- The average control room operator salary in the energy industry is $46,110, the highest of any industry.
- The average control room operator salary in the finance industry is $45,531.
- Control room operators in the professional industry earn an average salary of $39,546, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for control room operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $46,110 | $22.17 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $45,531 | $21.89 |
| 3 | Utilities | $44,814 | $21.55 |
| 4 | Professional | $39,546 | $19.01 |
High paying control room operator jobs
Control room operator salary trends
The average control room operator salary has risen by $10,007 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average control room operator earned $33,726 annually, but today, they earn $43,733 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for control room operators over the last decade.
Compare control room operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average control room operator salary over time
Compare control room operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Control room operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $43,700 | $21.03 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $42,400 | $20.36 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $41,100 | $19.77 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | $39,900 | $19.17 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | $38,600 | $18.55 | +3.7% |
Recently added control room operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nexstar Media Group | Production Control Room Operator | Peoria, IL | 06/28/2025 | $31,200 |
| Invenergy | Control Room Operator | Bolingbrook, IL | 06/28/2025 | $72,690 |
| Nexstar Media | Production Control Room Operator | Peoria, IL | 06/28/2025 | $31,200 |
| The Bergaila Companies | Control Room Operator | Midland, TX | 06/27/2025 | $60,231 |
| Hilton Worldwide | Rooms Controller-Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort and Club | Dana Point, CA | 06/25/2025 | $52,175 |
| Beumer Group | Control Room Operator-Baggage Handling Systems (SFO, 1St. Shift) | San Francisco, CA | 06/25/2025 | $73,045 |
| CRH Plc | Control Room Operator | Wildwood, FL | 06/25/2025 | $58,436 |
| Pacificorp | Control Room Operator-Multi-Unit-Local | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/21/2025 | $109,588 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | Facilities Control Room Operator | Raleigh, NC | 06/21/2025 | $36,523 |
| DTE Energy | Control Room Operator | Woodland, CA | 06/18/2025 | $95,647 |
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